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Toddler attacked by pit bull

Paramedics airlifted a Lebanon toddler to Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Monday after she was attacked by a pit bull. The 2-year-old girl and her parents were fishing with friends on Canoe Branch Road on Monday at about 4 p.m., and the property owner’s pit bull was loose in ...

Paramedics airlifted a Lebanon toddler to Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Monday after she was attacked by a pit bull.

The 2-year-old girl and her parents were fishing with friends on Canoe Branch Road on Monday at about 4 p.m., and the property owner’s pit bull was loose in the yard. When the child’s mother started to pick up the child, the dog attacked them, according to sheriff’s deputies.

“The dog jumped on top of the child, pinning the child under him, and started biting at the back and sides of the child’s head,” according to the incident report.

The child’s mother pried the pit bull’s mouth from the child’s head and kept the dog away until her friends were able to restrain the dog until authorities arrived.

“Our animal control people responded quickly,” said Sheriff Robert Bryan. “They were there with us on our arrival, taking care of the dog.”

The toddler’s parents took her to University Medical Center, where she was later taken by LifeFlight to Vanderbilt.

She underwent minor surgery to repair large cuts to the back and sides of her head, as well as to her right ear. She was listed in stable condition Tuesday.

Bryan said dog attacks are fairly frequent in Wilson County.

“We do have a lot of dog [attack] calls,” said Bryan. “It’s a rural county, and it’s not a rural county anymore… You hope nothing like this ever happens.”

Bryan said the dog’s owner will not likely face charges, since the attack happened on his property.

The owner turned the dog over to authorities to be euthanized and tested by health department officials.